Show your support for mums' pledge

EVERY minute a mother dies during pregnancy or childbirth.

However, 90 per cent of these deaths could be prevented if mothers across the globe had access to basic free health care provisions, such as a midwife.

Knitters from Exeter have been 'purling' together to put pressure on world leaders to fulfil the promise they made to reduce maternal mortality by two-thirds before 2015. This aim was one of the Millennium Development Goals set out in 2000.

Oxfam South West would like to give a warm thanks to all its knitters, who joined needles with campaigners across the country to make a giant baby blanket.

The blanket represents support for women worldwide who deserve the chance to enjoy motherhood.

The 'mother of all blankets' was made out of over 15,000 squares of knitting, which included the beautiful squares knitted by the Exeter Oxfam Group.

It was handed in to Sarah Brown, a mother herself, at Downing Street last week.

Mrs Brown showed her support for the Health Care For All campaign by dusting off her needles and knitting a square.

Gordon Brown was in New York on Thursday to attend an urgent progress meeting on the Millennium Development Goals.

For the half a million mothers who die every year from preventable causes, it is crucial that the world stands by its pledge to help.

To show your support for mothers worldwide please send a message calling for action to Gordon Brown at www.oxfam. org.uk/forall.

Thank you to Echo readers for all your support.

Gwen Williams

Oxfam volunteer

(by email)